Overview
- On the Congress’s 140th foundation day, Digvijaya Singh posted an archival photo of a young Narendra Modi near L. K. Advani and called the RSS/BJP rise the “power of organisation.”
- Singh later clarified that he opposes the RSS ideology and Prime Minister Modi but admires organisational capacity and wants greater decentralisation within the Congress.
- Responses inside the party diverged as Pawan Khera rejected learning from an outfit “known for Godse,” Sachin Pilot stressed unity and space for opinions, and Shashi Tharoor urged strengthening the organisation.
- Lok Sabha whip Manickam Tagore intensified the dispute by telling ANI the RSS is “built on hatred” and asking, “Can you learn anything from al-Qaeda?” while adding Singh’s remark does not help Rahul Gandhi’s fight against the Centre.
- With Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi declining public comment, Congress figures described the matter as internal as the BJP framed the episode as open dissent and used it to attack Gandhi’s leadership, reviving broader calls for organisational overhaul including Mohammed Moquim’s December appeal.